FeedODU is a Student Enrollment, Engagement & Services initiative that addresses food insecurity on campus by connecting Monarchs to a network of food resources, education, and support.
What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity can affect students' ability to be successful in college and focus on completing their degree programs. FeedODU seeks to ensure that every Monarch can get the most out of their education by connecting students who are experiencing food insecurity to resources both on and off campus.
ODU also offers a free on-campus food pantry for currently enrolled students: The Monarch Pantry. This resource not only provides students with access to food and toiletries, but it also serves as an opportunity for experiential learning, as the Monarch Pantry is staffed each week by student workers and student volunteers.
For more information on resources, including the Monarch Pantry, and information regarding how you can get involved / help support these initiatives, please see below. Thank you for helping us #feedODU!
Food Resources
The Monarch Pantry is a food pantry available to all ODU students enrolled in classes for the current semester, run by the office of Leadership & Learning. The Monarch Pantry provides a variety of fresh foods, nonperishable food items, and personal hygiene items to students who can utilize the resource once per week.
The Monarch Pantry is located in the Suffolk Room in Webb Center across from Counseling Services. Students can walk into the Pantry during open hours to shop in person, or they can place pre-orders for food online and select a time to pick up. Please place your order by noon on the day before your preferred pickup day.
Hours
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Donate
To arrange a donation drive with the Monarch Pantry, please email pantry@odu.edu.
Food donations for the Monarch Pantry can be dropped off any time during our operating hours listed above, or you can email pantry@odu.edu to arrange a drop-off time.
You can also ship needed donations right to the pantry using our Amazon Wishlist.
The Monarch Pantry does accept monetary donations through ODU's giving portal. You can donate directly to the Monarch Pantry here.
Student Outreach & Support (SOS) is a service within the Dean of Students Office that provides support to students who experience administrative, academic, or personal roadblocks. SOS connects students to campus and community resources for food insecurity and homelessness. SOS also has an emergency financial grant for students with unforeseen financial barriers.
Contact
oducares@odu.edu
757-683-3442
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP provides a monthly benefit to individuals through an Electronic Benefits Card (EBT) to supplement the purchase of nutritious foods. The EBT can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables; meat, poultry, and fish; dairy products; breads and cereals; and other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages.
Student eligibility for SNAP benefits is based on:
- Eligibility to participate in state or federally-financed work-study during the academic year (it is not required to actually participate), or
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 in the current academic year
If you are a federal Pell Grant recipient, you are eligible to apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program!
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the internet they need for work, school, and more.
Benefits of ACP include:
- Up to $30/month discount on your internet service
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Apply online in less than 10 minutes!
- Create a new account to complete the ACP application online
- Provide the address where you would like the service
- Select: "Qualify by yourself"
- Login and select option #2: Apply for ACP
- Select: "Federal Pell Grant in the current year award"
- Fill out the ACP Questionnaire
- Release information
- Proof may be required one day, but not now
- Confirmation will be sent to the email address you provided with more information, including next steps and a deadline to sign up for service
- Within the confirmation email is a link to find a provider in your area
- Contact the provider you have selected and begin the setup process
How To Help
Thank you for your interest in supporting food insecurity initiatives at ODU! Every year individual students and faculty/staff, student organizations, classes, departments, and offices work with us to combat food insecurity on campus.
If you are interested in making a donation of food or toiletry items, you can contact pantry@odu.edu to receive a list of the most needed items and arrange for a donation drop off!
The Monarch Pantry also has an Amazon wishlist, and you can ship needed items directly to the pantry from anywhere. You can donate directly to the Monarch Pantry here.
The Monarch Pantry offers opportunities for students and staff members to get involved, such as "Wipe Down Wednesdays," and more! If you're interested in volunteering, please email pantry@odu.edu with your name, contact information, and availability. We'd love to have you volunteer with us!
A big barrier that students can experience to accessing resources is simply not knowing that those resources exist. One of the ways you can help address food insecurity on campus is helping to spread the word about what it is, and what we're doing to address it.
We encourage you to share information about FeedODU to students widely! For example, you can:
- Share the link to our website
- Like & share posts from our FeedODU social media or from our partners
- FeedODU Instagram: @feed_ODU
- Include language in your syllabus about food insecurity
- Post flyers in your office building or residence hall about food insecurity (make sure these follow all the necessary protocols per our Posting Policy!)
Please reach out to our team at pantry@odu.edu if you have ideas or questions that you may need assistance with!
If you are interested in making a donation of food or toiletry items, you can contact pantry@odu.edu to receive a list of the most needed items and arrange for a donation drop off!
The Monarch Pantry also has an Amazon wishlist, and you can ship needed items directly to the pantry from anywhere. You can donate directly to the Monarch Pantry here.
The Monarch Pantry offers opportunities for students and staff members to get involved, such as "Wipe Down Wednesdays," and more! If you're interested in volunteering, please email pantry@odu.edu with your name, contact information, and availability. We'd love to have you volunteer with us!
A big barrier that students can experience to accessing resources is simply not knowing that those resources exist. One of the ways you can help address food insecurity on campus is helping to spread the word about what it is, and what we're doing to address it.
We encourage you to share information about FeedODU to students widely! For example, you can:
- Share the link to our website
- Like & share posts from our FeedODU social media or from our partners
- FeedODU Instagram: @feed_ODU
- Include language in your syllabus about food insecurity
- Post flyers in your office building or residence hall about food insecurity (make sure these follow all the necessary protocols per our Posting Policy!)
Please reach out to our team at pantry@odu.edu if you have ideas or questions that you may need assistance with!